Manchester United wins first title with Mourinho as coach

Manchester United won the English League Cup on Sunday by defeating Southampton 3-2 in a thrilling final. Portuguese coach José Mourinho claimed his first title as coach of the Red Devils.

► Zlatan Ibrahimovic secures Manchester United's title with this goal

Swedish player Ibrahimovic scored an amazing goal from a free kick in the 19th minute, while Jesse Lingard doubled the lead with a shot from the edge of the box assisted by Argentine player Marcos Rojo (38').

Just when it seemed that Manchester United would head into halftime with a two-goal lead, Italian striker Manolo Gabbiadini scored for Southampton in injury time (45+1').

In the early minutes of the second half, Gabbiadini scored again to equalize the match from a corner kick (49').

Manchester United, however, gradually regained control of the game and started dominating possession, unlike in the first half when they let Southampton take the initiative. The Red Devils began pushing forward and creating dangerous opportunities.

► Ibrahimovic scores another amazing goal in the League Cup final

Southampton, on the other hand, remained comfortable in their position and continued creating chances until the 90th minute.

In one of their counterattacks, Manchester United stopped the play, allowing their players to join the attack. French player Anthony Martial made a run down the wing, successfully evading a defender's tackle. Spanish player Ander Herrera received the ball from Martial and delivered a precise cross for Ibrahimovic, who headed it into the net.

This was Manchester United's fifth League Cup title, adding to their victories in 1992, 2006, 2009, and 2010.

Starting line-ups:

Manchester United: De Gea; Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Rojo; Herrera, Pogba; Lingard, Mata, Martial; Ibrahimovic.

Southampton: Forster; Cedric, Yoshida, Stephens, Bertrand; Romeu, Davies, Ward-Prowse; Tadic, Redmond, Gabbiadini.

Source: AFP

PRE-MATCH

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Manchester United aims to win their tenth League Cup title, with only Liverpool ahead with 12 titles. Their last victory in the competition was seven years ago when they defeated Aston Villa in the final.

In their journey to Wembley, Manchester United eliminated Northampton Town (1-3), Manchester City (1-0), West Ham (4-1), and Hull City (2-0 win in the first leg and 2-1 loss in the second leg).

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This could be Mourinho's fourth League Cup title, as he won it three times with Chelsea. Alex Ferguson and Brian Clough also have three titles each.

"The most important thing is the club, which won a trophy last year. Now we have to try to win another cup," Mourinho said when asked about the possibility of winning his first title with Manchester United. "I'm in a moment where I feel like a team man," he added.

The biggest absence for Manchester United is Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who suffered a muscle injury during the Europa League match against Saint-Étienne and was not included in the squad.

They will face Southampton in the final, who reached their first major final since 2003. Fourteen years ago, Southampton came close to winning the FA Cup after losing to Arsenal at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

In 2010, however, Southampton won the Football League Trophy, a tournament for teams in the lower divisions of English football. Under the guidance of French coach Claude Puel, the Saints have reached their first League Cup final since 1979.

In their journey to Wembley, Southampton defeated Crystal Palace (2-0), Sunderland (1-0), Arsenal (0-2), and Liverpool (1-0 win at St Mary's and 0-1 win at Anfield).

In terms of team news, Uruguayan defender Martín Cáceres, who recently joined Southampton, could make his debut. The former Barcelona, Sevilla, Juventus, and Villarreal player impressed Puel during training sessions in Spain and signed with the club until the end of the season.

Puel has some notable absences, including Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Striker Charlie Austin, the team's top scorer, is also unavailable, and Moroccan midfielder Sofiane Boufal's participation in the final is uncertain due to an ankle problem.

Source: EFE